Mufti Menk – Ramadhan Begins 2018

			Salam Alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh
		

			Bismillah al Rahman al Rahim In the name of Allah subhanho wa Taala Most Gracious, Most Merciful
Alhamdulillah All praise is indeed due to Allah subhanho wa Taala wa Salatu was Salam ala rasulillah
blessings and salutations upon Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, what Allah Allah He was
Habyarimana in his household, his companions We ask Allah Subhana Allah to Allah to bless them to
bless every single one of us to grant us goodness to open the doors of ease for every one of us to
fulfill all our needs to grant us ease through all our difficulties. And to bless us during this
beautiful upcoming month of Ramadan. I mean,
		

			my brothers and sisters, we all know
		

			that Ramadan is around the corner, am I right?
		

			Which corner so Han Allah, we all know that Ramadan is around the corner. And we all want the
forgiveness of Allah subhanho wa Taala every one of us would like to achieve forgiveness, closeness
to Allah, we want the tranquility, the peace that Allah subhanahu wa taala is promising. I promise
you, my brothers and sisters, we have goodness in our hearts, we have goodness within our systems.
It's just that sometimes shame upon the devil we are cursed makes us forget that there is a lot of
goodness within us. And we become overpowered at times by the evil force. And this is why reminders
of this nature are extremely important. reminders of this nature are extremely important because
		

			they should make us feel like yes, indeed, we are good people. I have goodness in me, I'm convinced
about it. And I am convinced that every one of you there is some good within you that we need to try
and enhance we need to try and develop and grow with and that is what life is all about the growth
of the goodness the diminishing of the evil and the living of this beautiful life in a way that as
we pass through. It's days it's months, it's yours. We become closer to the almighty so that when we
pass away we're actually very very close to Allah subhanho wa Taala the closest we ever were so I'm
excited about this beautiful month Are you
		

			Mashallah, so I guess that excitement must be meaning the phrases are all full Mashallah you know,
all the pies and everything else is ready. Alhamdulillah Allah Subhana Allah, but I don't know if
that excitement translates into something deeper than just the preparation for the food. And by the
way, Something strange is when we speak to those who don't know much about Islam and we say this is
the month of Ramadan and Ramadan, I know Ramadan. Ramadan was the Egyptian brother living next door,
you know.
		

			But no, to be honest.
		

			We would explain to them it's the month where we don't eat. If they were to come into our kitchens
and witness what goes on they probably think No, no, no, no, I think you're mistaken. It's the month
where you do eat actually Subhana Allah, isn't that a reality? Well, on its facts.
		

			We burden ourselves with so much I know in my part of the world, perhaps you do when
		

			people ask for freezes, especially just before Amazon because they don't have enough space in their
own freezes.
		

			So they hire it out. Or for example, they buy a new one and they need to fill it with food. Well, I
don't want to comment about it. It's not Haram. It's actually okay. It's permissible. It's part of
the gift of Allah because the Hadith says Lissa ma for Hatton for Hatton indefinitely he or for
Hakuna indulekha era be him. A person who fasts has two points of happiness. One is when he opens
his fast and two is when he meets with his rubber and the opening of the fast refers to two things
one is on a daily basis when you put something in your mouth at the end of the fast The feeling is
just so beautiful, so good, Mashallah, you know, the most unhealthy
		

			let me start with the other one. the healthiest thing you can put in your mouth is a date. Remember
I said put in your mouth not go out with but I'm talking about the healthiest thing you can put in
your mouth is a date Subhanallah it is filled with fiber with iron with so much more you know, and
it's something that is a gift from Allah. If you were to put in your mouth a date at the time of the
opening of the fast, I promise
		

			You not only would it be healthy but you would achieve a spirituality by fulfilling the sooner and
the practice of Muhammad peace be upon him and it's not like a race the amount of money goes and the
next thing is we all try and you know get as much food as work
		

			Allah May Allah subhanho wa Taala not do that to us make it Ramadan with the difference. Be
civilized be decent. I know I'm speaking here in Europe and Subhana Allah here up north in
Manchester the faster even longer than London. Am I right? Wow, that was a quick Yes, finally worked
it out as well. Right. So Hannah law I did work it out do and that's why at the end of Ramadan, I
want to come and spend the day of eat Mashallah with my family and friends, perhaps in the park in
at the Valentine park in London, perhaps in Sharla. And I was looking at when to come.
		

			And I'm thinking perhaps I'll come in time for the 27th because the 27th as you know, it's one of
the possibilities of the Night of Decree, but we need to start planning from now what are we going
to be doing? Where are we going to be where are we going to go for taraweeh, etc, etc. The point I
was raising is the fasts are a little bit longer. So the sweetness of that date as sorry, the date
date, the sweetness of that tomorrow, okay, that you're going to be putting into your mouth Subhan
Allah is such my brothers and sisters.
		

			That the dua you make at that juncture, Allah says, it is for you.
		

			That point what is the dude are you going to make Oh Allah, Grant me forgiveness. Oh, Allah accept
this fast from me, oh, Allah opened my doors, or Allah help my brothers and sisters across the globe
who are suffering, I pause for a moment, my brothers and sisters every day of Ramadan, undertake
from now at the time of iftaar. We are going to pray for those who are suffering across the globe.
Is that a deal?
		

			inshallah it's the minimum you could do, we are going to reach out Subhana Allah, look at what
happened. Do you know what just happened? Didn't we just say Oh Allah help those who are suffering
across the globe. I was struggling with the heat, as I said that, and some must have said, I mean,
this, this, this fan actually came on air conditioned, and I could feel it so panela It's amazing,
instant instant response to an amazing. So my brothers and sisters, we must promise Allah subhanho
wa Taala that the two are the supplication we are going to make is not going to be selfish, not just
for me, it's not me myself. And I know it's about the others as well. Where we have a family, we
		

			have a community, we have an oma and we have humanity at large. We need to pray, we need to pray
hard. We are taught that when you pray for others, the angels pray for you. In the same way, when
you ask goodness for someone that goodness is being asked for you becoming a habit of making a good
dua rather than a doer of destruction. Because if you make a dua for destruction for someone else,
the evil effect of that da might just rebound on to you. Remember that it's a reality. If they don't
deserve it, it's going to come back to you. So try to get out of this habit of making dua for
destruction and evil for others. Oh Allah, break that person, destroy this person damage that
		

			person. I don't even know what words people use in there do. We rather say well or soften their
hearts or open their doors or help them or grant them goodness or Allah, make them pure, etc. So
we're making ourselves pure as well as a result.
		

			So we have a long fast Mashallah Tabata Cola, and the healthiest thing you could put in your mouth
is a date, the most unhealthy thing that you could put in your mouth is
		

			I'm hearing people saying sir Moses rice, I didn't say anything. I haven't even said I just said is
and I left the blank. So you filled it Subhana Allah with your own words, but what are you going to
be having more of? The healthier the unhealthy?
		

			The unhealthy, unfortunately, why? Because it's tasty. Okay, that's a very, very interesting
observation. We would love our pies and our fries and our savories and what we've prepared, you
know, back at home, my wife sent me a picture on WhatsApp of one of her friends. The freezer is so
beautifully organized with tubs Subhana Allah, each tub says day one, day two, day three, day four,
and I'm thinking this is supposed to be the dhikr of Allah and the plan of what you're going to do
to gain closeness to Allah. And here we have day four and these are I actually have it on my phone.
These are tubs in them there is food somehow Allah you can actually see. It's plastic you can see
		

			through and I'm thinking to myself, okay, it's not Haram. But look, my brothers and sisters,
something very important.
		

			Are we not all becoming more health conscious? I want an answer.
		

			We're becoming more health conscious.
		

			As time passes, people are talking of organic people are talking of this that everything else I told
you the most unhealthy everyone knows already too much oil too much this too much that unhealthy
cholesterol, what have you
		

			carbs. Everyone wants to limit what they having. Because we all want a figure. We all want a body
that looks good. We all want Subhanallah to feel healthy, we all want goodness, etc, etc. But I want
to tell you something. We are so concerned about this health of ours and the way we look that we go
out to spend hours in the gym, 45 minutes to two hours a day, we will sweat we will struggle we are
dedicated we will not want to miss at all. We make sure we stay away from certain foods just because
you want to look good, just because you want to get rid of something called a love handle. You know,
that's why there's so little of love nowadays because those handles are missing by the way that
		

			Allah subhanho wa Taala grant us protection. Okay, I'm just covering myself and hamdulillah So, my
brothers and sisters, it's a reality people make an effort. They are dedicated you offering them
something they tell you I won't eat because it's not healthy. I want to tell you, my brothers and
sisters, if we had a shape spiritually, I wonder whether we would like to look at ourselves in the
mirror. That's the type of shape we would be
		

			the most unhealthy things we do for our spirituality. We are never at the spiritual gym. And by the
way, going up and down in Salah is not the gym. It's the quality of it. It's the way you pray. Allah
subhanho wa Taala requires a minimum let's affect the firearm and what is compulsory, I cannot
decrease that for you. But what I do know is
		

			the quality of it is more important than anything else because when I obey Allah I'm doing it for my
benefit not for his. So I want to discuss this issue of dedication during the month of Ramadan. In
the same way we are dedicated to ensuring that you know our health inshallah is going to be good and
we'd like to eat low GI that which is beneficial the past going to be long. One of my friends here
seated here today I'm sorry to Well, it's not an embarrassment but to mention this, he gave me a box
of chocolates. Okay. You know what it says? from the USA? The Rama ban bar, have you seen it? Subhan
Allah.
		

			You know what it says in there Subhana Allah, the fast that lasts Subhan Allah, you put it in your
mouth, you eat it, it's supposed to last a long, long time. It's a Ramadan bar. Well, I'm happy to
have received that. But I want to tell you, the effort we're making to ensure that the food is
correct is only a small percentage. It's supposed to be a small percentage.
		

			More than that, I need to change my life.
		

			When you would like people to look at you to turn for example, mela, make it halaal people do it for
haram reasons. When you want people to admire when you want people to when you want to feel good,
actually, we should be doing it for us to feel good. In reality, I'm doing it for myself. You know,
people say, Well, I'm dressing very well. I'm dressing for myself, I'm talking about any one of us.
It's not like I'm dressing to show someone and so on. But when we would like people to look at us in
in a good way. And we're neat and presentable. We need to know that on the Day of Judgment, we also
need to be neat and presentable. That present ability is going to be connected to something else to
		

			your closeness to Allah, your religiousness your spirituality, whether or not you were determined in
the same way you were determined at the gym, determined for your Salah, determined to obey Allah's
instruction, to abstain from prohibition and to correct ourselves so that we can develop the good
side that I said moments ago, every one of us actually has, I have a good side you have a good side,
but I need to grow it you need to grow it as well develop it. And in that way we will be able to
earn the pleasure of Allah subhanho wa Taala. So my brothers and sisters, I need to start from now
		

			opening the Quran from today. Number one, I don't know if I'm actually going to witness the
beginning of Ramadan. Does anyone here have a guarantee that they're going to be alive to witness
the first day of Ramadan?
		

			No.
		

			If that's the case, I need to say Allah homophily manabi now right now when we were seated here, I
invite you to call out to Allah subhanho wa Taala Oh Allah, Oh Allah, forgive my sins all I've done
so much of wrong, forgive my sins or Allah if you take me away, take me away in the condition that
you
		

			You are pleased with me.
		

			We've all done wrong, myself included khulumani Adama hapa. Every human being commit sins makes
mistakes. But the best of those who constantly make mistakes are those who constantly repent. What
will happen in a boon. The best of those who constantly make mistakes are those who constantly
repent. Why do we repent? Because we believe in Allah. Someone came to me and told me Well, if I
commit a sin, and I asked Allah forgiveness, Will you forgive me? I said, Yes, indeed, immediately
he will. For as long as you're genuine, you're sincere, you've regretted your sin. You're asking a
lot for giving us a new promising him, you're not going to do it again. He says, What if I fall in
		

			it again, and again and again and again. And again. I told him, if you keep on seeking forgiveness,
with all the conditions, it's a sign that you believe because the disbelievers they don't want to
seek forgiveness to them. They're doing nothing wrong. For us. There is the element of regret.
		

			You do something wrong, you have an element within you saying I shouldn't have done this. It was
bad. What is making you think I shouldn't have done this if it's not your Eman, that means there is
a flicker. Let's try our best to hold the candle in the way that the wind does not blow it out by
quickly engaging in Toba so that the flame starts growing a little bit more Subhan Allah, you know
you have a candle Subhana Allah, we would not like on a dark night for that candle to be
extinguished by the wind. But what we would love definitely is for it to provide light in such a way
that we benefit the same applies to us. Brothers and sisters, no matter what you have done, no
		

			matter what you are doing, no matter how many times you have done it, there will come a time in your
life if you have a man that you will have to quit that bad for the sake of Allah.
		

			And that is what will get you into genital for those. That is what will get you into paradise my
brothers and sisters. So I want to give you an example that I gave on Friday at the jumaan that some
of the brothers found very, very interesting. Okay.
		

			If you and I
		

			are expecting a guest
		

			at home, VIP, a person we really wanted to meet coming home, whether they're okay, I said this
before, I'm gonna say it again.
		

			Whether there are politicians, or superstars, or soccer players, whoever they are religious
personnel.
		

			We would be excited if it's someone we really could not believe is coming to our home. What's the
first thing we would do?
		

			Clean up
		

			right or wrong? Clean up. Everyone is Helter Skelter. Hey quickly get this done. get that done. You
paint you do this, you you know make sure we get a new carpet mix depending on who the person is,
but I'm talking of a vvip Subhanallah everyone wants to clean up clean your mess. And then what?
decorate the house make it look reasonable. Make sure the lights are working. Make sure everything's
okay. That crack on the glass on the door right in the front. Make sure the pain is repaired before
the guest comes not that the guest comes in and then you say okay, have a seat here we just
painting. So behind Allah no one does that. Have a seat here. We want to fix that glass.
		

			My brothers and sisters, we would also go as far as getting clothing that that person would consider
decent, reasonable, acceptable and good. So I buy myself a new suit. And as it is, you know the
sisters have a new habit of every function needs a new
		

			don't pretend like you don't know Subhana Allah,
		

			a whole new outfit. Everything is new, different. I cannot wear the same thing to two functions in
my life. That's an attitude that is void of gratitude. Remember that you can wear the same thing
throughout.
		

			No problem. Make a difference, if you can afford it and hamdulillah but learn to do something
constructive with what you're not wearing. Don't let more than a certain number of pieces of
clothing. pile up in your
		

			wardrobe. Learn to give things away. Because what Chopin does, and I'm diverting a little bit I'm
gonna get back to my original story. I'm opening a new window here, you know, we're taught that with
the computers so Subhanallah your wardrobe what shape one does, you know you haven't worn this for
so long. Shaytan says No, leave it Don't worry. You're gonna need this. The next one? Yes, you're
gonna need this. The 125 years ago when I got married, I'm gonna fit into this. Don't worry, it's
okay. A day will come Subhanallah and then the other one keep this you know what to do. Even if one
day Allah has blessed you to go back into whatever shape you may have been. And I've known of people
		

			who've gone into more prim and proper shape than they were the day they got married because
obviously they started going to the gym and before they didn't
		

			you can sell something else you can get something else
		

			Learn to give things away Allah will give you more unfit the Abner Adama Yun fucka Lake, Oh son of
Adam spend, and it shall be spent upon you give and you will be given. If you don't give, you're not
going to be given then to give. It was difficult for me a few years ago when I opened my wardrobe
and I said time to practice what you've been preaching so Pamela looked into the wardrobe and sold
his lovely thobes Mashallah, and I said, You know what, we taking them all out, give them in a good
condition. Many of us wait until there's a whole there's something wrong with it, the buttons
missing then you say give this away, then we go to something this is brand new, by the way, there's
		

			only a button missing. Only a button missing that rendered it completely useless, according to you,
you giving it to us when you yourself would not make use of it. The Quran talks of people who do
that, and the Quran says it's not a good habit. How can you give something you yourself wouldn't
take.
		

			So learn to open because Ramadan is a month of generosity. I promise you my brothers and sisters,
the beginning of Ramadan, open your closets, your cupboards, your wardrobes, not only are we
cleansing ourselves, our homes, that guests that I spoke about moments ago going back to that
window, the guest I spoke about moments ago is Ramadan, more important than any human being who can
visit you just like you will clean your home clean your act, clean yourself, cut out your bad
habits.
		

			If you really have that one bad habit you and I know we have to get rid of whatever it is, whether
it is a toxic person on my mobile phone that I'm in touch with that my spirituality is being
rendered useless by
		

			Cut, cut. There is something called a block on your phone by the way, have you used it? No, you
haven't you don't even know where it is sometimes use it. It helps. I think I have about 365 blocked
persons on my phone. But that's obviously different because you get bombarded every way if you don't
give me your name, the next best thing you're blocked because I don't know who you are. You could be
someone intending to harm possible.
		

			I get a message sometimes it's Salaam Alaikum. So I've said while a como Salam I say it, you know.
And so once in a while you might type it out if you get a chance, but from 3000 messages a day, I
cannot just employ myself to alaikum Salaam Alaikum Salaam Alaikum Salaam to everyone. So I can say
La consola and they asked you a question but you haven't told me who you are where you're from, you
know, it's very dangerous to handle especially nowadays. It could be anyone from anywhere. And then
the one brother says chef, but you must have been you know, you must think good of your brothers. I
think very good of you. That's why I blocked you. Subhana Allah. May Allah subhanahu wa taala bless
		

			us. We think good have our brothers and sisters, my brothers and sisters, my example might be
slightly different and even yours. It depends on all of our unique situations. I mean, if you have a
business where you're selling something for Amazon, you don't want to block people who say salaam
aleikum, you can just say why they come with Salaam the pies are 12 for five pounds, then Subhana
Allah.
		

			By the way, may Allah grant your business's success. Wow, I heard more means from here than anywhere
else. Or the business people are clustered together. So my brothers and sisters, that Ramadan, that
month is a guest it's going to come to us Don't wait for a van to enter and then you fix the cracked
glass and then you want to paint the home no before I move on my glasses ready before I move on just
like my pies and my savories are day one, day two, day three and everything else I would love also
to have a preparation of what I'm going to do which machine I'm going to go to how much Koran I'm
going to read my bad habits right now I know the one bad habit I'm going to cut it cut it for the
		

			sake of Allah. The one good thing that I know I have to do, I'm going to strengthen myself to do it
for the sake of Allah. Why? Because it's Ramadan. Subhan Allah, it's Ramadan coming in.
		

			I have a request.
		

			If every Ramadan we can add one good thing and subtract one bad thing in 20 years inshallah we would
really improve ourselves my brothers and sisters. Is that asking too much?
		

			I only heard one no coming from there somewhere. Some handler well done my brother. Mashallah.
		

			Mashallah, Mashallah. No, it wasn't the sister she don't worry. But it might have been the sisters
are a little bit softer. In fact, there's all the sisters might have answered but you know, there's
a hijab share. So my brothers and sisters, it's not much let's be serious. We can eradicate our
habits. You know, we got here together to feel good about the fact that we're Muslims. We believe in
Allah we believe in the last day we want to reach out to humanity we want to reach out firstly to
ourselves by getting closer to Allah subhanho wa Taala. We have to my brothers and sisters, there is
no way that we have an option. We are going towards Allah we're getting closer to death. When I die.
		

			I want to have done very
		

			nice things for others whom I lived with and for myself with Allah subhanho wa Taala I want to have
improved as the days passed and this is why we have the gift known as the month of Ramadan. So we
will start this month we will commence this month in a way that we are prepared by the will of Allah
subhanho wa Taala you know, I spoke about it yesterday in Juma again a very interesting factor I
want to repeat it for the benefit of myself and yourselves.
		

			You see, we look at our phones a lot. So now Mashallah Muslims we have Quran app on our phones,
right?
		

			But how many of us open that app every single day put up your hands? Every single day you have the
Quran app opened? Okay, very few hands, put your hands down, Masha Allah, may Allah subhanho wa
Taala. Grant us Jenna. May Allah strengthen all those whose hands were down? Mashallah. I mean,
		

			my brothers and sisters, we have what app that is probably the most used application on our phones.
Do you agree?
		

			I heard a loud Yes. So now comes the idea. Where I told one of the brothers I said, You know what?
		

			We need to introduce an application known as what sport because the watts is making everyone open
things you know, every little while, boom, boom, middle of the night, people are supposed to be
asleep. And you know what? dd?
		

			in your sleep, you don't even know it's like default automatic. Voila, he the messages of the Quran
should reach us in a more powerful way. Every time you pick up your phone. Are you prepared to read
a verse of the Quran before you read your message on WhatsApp? Are you prepared to do that?
		

			Very few yeses, Subhana Allah See that?
		

			So anyway, I want to give you a good news. That application has been made.
		

			It's called nothing go and search for it in the Arabic language known harta and meme on Google what
it does for you something amazing. It has the translation and it has the Arabic It depends what you
want to do. So you pick your phone, when you open your phone during the day, when before you get
into your phone, it asks you to read one verse of the Quran in order.
		

			In order you read one verse of the Quran, and then it takes you into your phone, you can do what you
want to pick your phone again, you read one verse of the Quran. The people say that
		

			those who are utilizing this application seriously, some of them are completing the whole Quran
every 15 days. That's how much they're using of their phones. But that's only if you're serious, so
panela and another thing it does for you, it protects you from bad and evil messages because he
mentioned I'm reading the Koran when Latina amanu, Aminu, sorry hottie etc, etc. And then I opened
up thing and I'm seeing totally haram messages. It doesn't go together, right? I probably deleted
sister or close it again.
		

			So hey Subhan Allah, you read a verse saying, Tell the believers to lower their gazes and then you
open the thing and wow, I better lower my gaze glow. So that nothing is so important. My brothers
and sisters, you know what? I think it's about time we thought about such applications and we use
them May Allah subhanahu wa taala grant us Oh goodness, may Allah open our doors. I should be back
later on by the will of Allah subhanho wa Taala and I hope that every one of us can pray for each
other akuto kolyada was Salam aleikum wa rahmatullah